Valve-actuating mechanism.



No. 859,331. PATENTED JULY 9,1907. G. B. PBTSGHE. VALVE AGTUATINGMEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 27,1906.

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APPLICATION FILED MAR.27,1908.

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PATENTED JULY 9, 1907.

G. B. PBTSGHE.

VALVE AGTUATING MEGHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED MAE. 27, 1906.

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No. 859,331.' PATENTED JULY 9, 190'?.l

G. B. PBTSGHE. VALVE ACTUATING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 27, 1906.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE..

GUSTAV B. PETSOHE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO SOUTHWARKFOUNDRY AND MACHINE COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPO-RATION PENNSYLVANIA.

VALVE-ACTUATING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1907.

Application filed March Z7, 1906. Serial No. 308.241.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUsTAv B. PETscHE, a subject of the Emperor ofGermany, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, in the Stateof Pennsylvania,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Valve-ActuatingMechanism, of which the following is a true and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a partthereof.

I0 My invention relates to the actuation of steam engine valves of theGorliss type and has for its object, in the first place, to secure thevalve actuating spindle of such valves in position and to the valve byimproved means.

Further, my object is to so construct and combine the devices directlyacting upon the spindle as to avoid lateral strains and finally togenerally simplify and improve the transmitting mechanism by whichmotion is transmitted to the valves from eccentrics or other primaryvalve actuating devices.

The nature of my improvements will be best understood as described inconnection with the drawings in which they are illustrated and in whichFigure l is a side elevation of a tandem compound and Corliss engineprovided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the engine. Fig.3 a crosssection through the vacuum cylinder by which the valve isclosed. Fig. 4 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of the mechanismconnected with a valve spindle, the view being taken on the section line4 4 of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a plan view, taken as on the section line 5 5of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal central section through one of thecylinders of the engine showing the .valve system. Fig. 7 is aperspective view of one of the valves. Fig. 8 a perspective view of theend of the valve actuating spindle. Fig. 9 an end view of the valve.Fig. 10 a side elevation of the hook and hook actuating mechanism. Fig.ll, a side elevation of the lever, through which motion is imparted tothe valve spindle and Fig. l2, a perspective view of the cam device bywhich the hook is detached from the spindle actuating lever.

A, and A are, respectively, the high and low pressure cylinders oftheengine; B, Fig. 6, piston ofthe high pressure cylinder, C, the pistonrod; D, the connecting rod; E, the crank disk secured to the shaft F, onwhich is also attached the fly wheel G.

I-I, H indicate the eccentrics secured'ion the shaft F, and by which thevalve actuating mechanism is operated. The eccentric H, communicatesthrough the eccentric rod I, with the lever arin I2, secured on the rockshaft I4, to which is also attached the lever arm I, which, through theconnecting rod IS, gives motion to the rod Im, to which rod areconnected the hook actuating levers of the low pressure cylinder. Therod IU, is connected through the rod 112, with the rod 114, to which areconnected the hook actuating levers of the high pressure cylinder. Thevalves connected with the rods above mentioned are the steam admissionvalves of the engine cylinders. The exhaust valves of the steamcylinders are actuated through a similar train of mechanism from theeccentric I-I, to wit, through the connecting rod I/, lever I8, rockshaft I5, lever I7, and rods I9, I, Il, 11".

The governor mechanism indicated at If, is actuated G5 from the shaft ofthe engine through appropriate mechanism, such, for instance, asindicated at .I the lever actuated by the governor communicating motionthrough the ,rods indicated at J2, to the hook releasing cams of theadmission valves.

K, K, Fig. 6, are the admission valves controlling the flow of steam tothe high pressure cylinder, K, KQ the exhaust valves. These valves, andparticularly the admission valves, are constructed, as shown in Figs. 7and 9, that is to say, with cylindrical ends, indicated at '7 5 K2,formed with transverse central slots K4, from the bottom of which extendbearing recesses indicated at K3. The valve spindles, indicated at L,see Figs. 4, 5 and 8, are each provided with lateral bars L, fitting inthe slots K4, and with a plug L2, which extends into and is supported bythe bearing K3, formed in the end of the corresponding valve. The outerends of the valve spindles L, are supported in brackets indicated at M,M, etc., for the high pressure cylinder, and M M, etc., for `the lowpressure cylinder, the brackets M extending out from the smaller highpressure cylinder so that their ends are practicalbr level and lie inthe same vertical plane with theends of 'the shorterbracketsM. The endsof the brackets are provided with ball socket bearings, as indicated atM2, Fig. 5,"and support ball bearings N, with inwardly extendingcylindrical ends, as indicated at NC These ball bearings supporting theouter ends of the spindles L, as indicated, and the device by which thespindle is supported on its inner end in aI bearing formed in the end ofthe valve and at `its outer end of a bracket, preferably by a balljoint, forms one feature of my invention. The spindle actuating leversO2 and O3 are shown as lever arms integrally'connected by a hub portionO firmly secured to the spindle L between its bearings, the hubextending out on each side of the lever arms to form bearings asindicated at OC O. The lever O2 is connected tothe vacuum cylinder', andthe lever O3, is provided with a hook engaging latch O4, preferably ofhardened steel.

P, P, are the bearing hubs of the hook actuating levers journaled on thehub extensions O, Of, as shown, and provided with two lever arms, one,P, connecting with a link and rod system leading from the valveactuating eccentrics, while the other, P2, serves as a bearing for thehook shaft R, and also supports the block Q to which is secured thespring indicated at Q. The hook shaft R, has attached to it the hooklever R, to which is secured the hook proper, indicated at R2, the shafthaving also secured to it, the cam contacting lever R3.

S, is the hub of the hook releasing cam and is preterably journaled onthe bearing Nf, of the 'ball bearing supporting the outer end of thevalve spindle, the hub having formed or attached to it, the cam SQ andthe lever S2, which lever is connected with a governor through rodsystem indica-ted at J2.

T, is a piston rod attached to the lever arm O2', and to the cylinderhead T/, the cylinder head having a downwardly extending central plungerT2, and a parallel downwardly extending outer cylinder indicated at T.,l y

T4, indicates a non-return escape valve oi the usual type by which anyair in the head ot the cylinder can escape therefrom, and Pl", arestricted air admission passage by whicha regulated amount oi air ispermitted to enter the head of the cylinder when a vacuum exists withinthe same.

U, is an annular stationary plunger secured to the frame of the engine,the plunger extension T2, fitting within the same and the cylinder'extension T3, on the outside ot the same.

It will be noticed that the vacuum cylinders are all situated in thesame vertical plane parallel with the axis of the engine cylinders, thatthey lie above the valve spindles and in the same plane with theactuating link system leading from the eccentric and by which the hookedlevers ot the admission valves are operated.

It is I believe new with me to have the actuating rods for the hooklevers and the vacuum cylinders lie in the same plane with each otherand with the spindle actuating levers O2 and O3, and it is also Ibelieve new with me in a tandem compound engine to so combine theadmission valve actuating mechanism that all the spindle actuatinglevers and the parts connecting thereto lie in the same vertical plane.The advantages oi this construction in avoiding lateral strains and insimplifying tandem compound engines are obvious.

My leading idea, that of avoiding lateral strains in the valve'actuating mechanism of valves of this general type is further embodiedin the construction by which the hook actuating levers have theirbearings on the heads Of, O, oi the spindle actuating levers, the leverarms P2, P2, carrying the hook pivoted between them and lying in thesame plane with the lever arm O3 upon which the hook acts and thegeneral preservation of correct alinement is further promoted by givingthe cam head S a bearing on the ball bearing extension l which, in theconstruction shown, must always preserve correct alinementwith thespindle and the parts secured to the spindle. Y y

There is ot course nothing essentially new in the general character ofthe valve mechanism, the operation of which is familiar to allengineers, and a very brief description, it any, is necessary inconnection therewith; I will note however' that the normal position ofthe valves is closed with the cylinder and plunger of the vacuumcylinder in the position shown in Fig. 3. The oscillation ot the hookactuating lever brings the hook R4, into engagement with hook engagingledge O4, turning the valve spindle toward the left as shown in Figs. 4and 5 and forcing the vacuum cylinder and its attached plunger upward, asmall amount oi air being permitted to enterthe head ot the cylinderthrough the restricted passage T5, at some time during the downwardmovement of the stroke, the cam S coming in contact with the lever armR3, pushes the hook out so as to disengage it from the arm O3, whereuponthe vacuum in the vacuum cylinder at once causes the return of thiscylinder to normal position as shown in Fig. 3, and the closing oi' thevalve, the

small amount oi ail` which has entered the vacuum` cylinder serving as acushion on its downward stroke, but escaping through the non-returnvalve T4.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is l.A In an engine, a valve o1 the Corlisstype having, :1t

one end, means for connecting it to an actuating spindle and a bearingfor the end of said spindle in combination with a bracket, a selt'adjusting bearing for the outer end of the spindle, supported on saidbracket, a spindle sup ported in the bearing of the valve and the seliadjusting bearing and valve actuating mechanism connected to saidspindle.

2. ln an engine havingl valves of the Corliss type a valve spindle.actuating levers secured to said spindle through a hub having bearingsformed thereon on both sides of the levers and catch actuating leversjournaled on the hub bearings.

V3. .ln an engine, a valve of the Corliss type having, at one end, meansfor conneeting'it to an actuating spindle and a bearing for the end ofsaid spindle in combination with a bracket, a self adjusting bearing forthe outer end' ot the spindle supported on said bracket, a spindle supported in the bearing ot' the valve and the selt' adjusting bearingvalve, actuating levers secured to the spindle be tween its bearingsthrough a hub having bearings on both sides of said levers and catchactuating levers journaled on said hub bearing.

4. In an engine, a valve of the Corliss type having, at one end, meansfor connecting it to an actuating spindle and a bearing for the end otsaid spindle in combination with a bracket, a self adjusting bearinglfor the outer end of the spindle supported on said bracket, a spindlesupported in the bearing of the valve and the self adjusting bearingvalve, actuating levers secured to the spindle he' tween its bearingsthrough a hub having bearings on both sides of said levers, catchactuating levers journaled on said hub bearing and a catch releasing camvjournaled on a bearing 'formed on the inner end of the self adjustingspindle bearing.

In an engine ot the Corliss type a valve actuating spindle in'combination with actuating levers secured thereto. catch actuatinglevers journaled on each side of the spindle actuating levers aconnecting rod attached to the catch actuating levers and lying at oneside of and in the saine plane as the spindle levers and resilient valveclosing mechanism connected to the spindle levers and lying in the sameplane as the spindle on the side opposite to that of the connecting rod.

G. In a compound tandem engine of the Corliss type a series o1'admission valve spindles for both cylinders having actuating leverssecured thereto in a common plane. in combination with catch actuatinglevers for each spindle. a line of connecting rods or links lying belowand in the saine plane as the'spindle levers and connected to actuatcthe catch levers and a series of resilient spindle actuating devicessituated above and in the saine plane as the spindle levers.

GUSTAV B. PETSCHE.

Witnesses:

AnNoLD Kyrz,

D. STEWART. y

